Check-row plant-setter.



S. S. DILLOW.

CHECK ROW PLANT SETTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10, 1913.

JNVE N TOR:

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPI'] C0, WASHlNflTON. D. c.

S. S. DILLOW.

' CHECK ROW PLANT SETTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1913.

Patented Jan. 13,1914.

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S. S. DILLOW.

CHECK ROW PLANT SETTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1913.

1,083,923, Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: VVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPH 00., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEI: S. DILLOW, 0F PERRY TOWNSHIP, MARION COUNTY, INDIANA.

CHECK-R0117 PLANT-SET'IER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. DILLOW, a citizen of the United States,residing in Perry township, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Check-Row Plant-Setter, of whichthe following is ,a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

This invention relates to a machine for setting plants that is designedto be used in connection with a wire having knots or buttons fordetermining the distances to set the plants apart in check rows, theinvention having reference more particularly to a check row plant setterthat is designed to be used for setting or transplanting tomato,cabbage, or other plant-s in two rows at a time.

An object of the invention is to provlde an improved machine for settingplants accurately in check rows or for spacing plants equi-distantlyapart in rows, a further object being to provide a check row plantsetter that shall be so constructed as to enable operators to set plantswith care and reliability and in an expeditious manner, which machineshall be durable and economical in use.

With the above mentioned and other objects in View, the inventionconsists in an improved plant setter provided with guiding and retainingdevices for controlling the setting of plants and adapted to becontrolled by a check row wire, the machine being adapted to be drawnover the ground by either animal or mechanical power.

The invention consists also in the novel parts and in the combinationsand arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described andclaimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine aspreferably constructed; Fig. 2, a top plan of one of the channel cuttersof the machine partially broken away; Fig. 3, a side elevation of themachine; Fig. 1, a fragmentary section on the line A A in Fig. 8; Fig.5, a view of the structure shown in Fig. 4 looking from left to right;Fig. 6, a fragmentary section on the line B B in Fig. 5; Fig. 7, aperspective view of one of the devices for controlling the timing of theplant setting; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the immediate supportSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 10, 1913.

Patented Jan. 13,1914. Serial No. 753,324..

of the controlling device shown in the preceding figure.

In the different figures of the drawings similar reference charactersindicate like parts or features of construction herein re ferred to anddescribed.

In carrying out the objects and purposes of the invention, the mainframe and carrying portions of the machine are variously constructed andmay from time to time be variously modified, a structure of familiarform being illustrated herein in order to fully describe and explain thenature and character of the invention. The structure suit-able for thepurpose includes a main frame comprising two longitudinal members 1 and2 and a tail bar 3 formed integrally, a transverse bar 1- secured to themembers 1 and 2 and an axle bar 5 rigidly secured also to the members 1and 2, the axle-bar having two wheel bearings 6 and 7 thereon on which apair of carrying wheels 8 and 9 are rotatably mounted. The axle-bar 5extends outward beyond the wheel bearings and forms frame members 10 and10. The carrying wheels are suitably spaced apart so that they maytravel between two rows of plants spaced at a desirable distance apart.The axle extensions 10 and 10 are suitable for supporting or partiallysupporting seats for the operators who place the plants in the requiredposit-ions in the ground. A seat arm 11 is secured to the transverse bar4: and extends upward and rearward and is provided with supporting legs12 and 12 that extend downward therefrom divergently and are secured tothe members 1 and 2 re spectively, a drivers seat 13 being mounted uponthe upper portion of the arm 11. The frame comprises also a transversemember 14: which is provided with a pair of hinge members 15 and 16 thatare hingedly connected to the forward ends of the members 1 and 2. Twoframe members 17 and 18 are secured at a suitable distance apart invertical arrangement to the member 14- and extend downward therefrom. Achannel cutter, which is runner shaped so as to form a cutting blade 19,has two diverging blades or mold boards 20 and 21 formed thereon and issecured to the member 17, and a similar channel cutter comprising ablade 22 and diverging blades or mold boards 23 and 24: is secured tothe member 18, the diverging blades extending rearward from the cuttingblades so as to spread the earth outward on both sides of the channelscut by the blades 19 and 22, the diverging blades being relatively longand having upper rearward portions that flare outwardly in order toprevent the earth from falling back into the 1 channel when plants arebeing set in the space the machine being drawn and guided by the pole,the forward end of the pole obviously being hitched to draft animals orto a power machine to be supported thereby at a suitable distance fromthe ground in order to determine the depth of the channels in which theplants are set, and the depth may be varied or the channel cutters maybe lifted from the ground when the machine is traveling on roads bymeans of suitable apparatus such as a quadrant 33 rigidly mounted on thetransverse bar 4 and the seat arm 11 and provided with notches 34, alever 35 being pivotally supported and provided with a latch 36 to entereither one of the notches. The lever is provided with a latch handle 37that is connected by means of a link 38 with the latch. The lever has anarm 39, and a link 40 is connected to the arm and to the rear endportion of the pole 32 so that when the lever is drawn rearward the rearend of the pole will be drawn up toward the plane of the members 1 and2, the channel cutters thus being elevated, and obviously the cuttersare lowered when the lever is moved forward. Two seat beams 41 and 42are suitably connected with the extensions 10 and 10' respectively, andrespectively support two seats 43 and 44 for the use of those who setthe plants. The tops of the cutter blades 19 and 22 are provided withfoot rests 45 and 46 respectively for the feet of the operators orattendants.

A channel closer frame comprises two members 47 and 48 that areconnected to the frame member 17 and extend outward and rearwardtherefrom. and two similar frame members 49 and 50 connected to themember 18 and extending outwardly and rearwardly therefrom. said channelcloser frame members extending also downwardly. the members 47 and 48having rollers 51 and 51 mounted thereon, the members 49 and 50 havingsimilar rollers 52 and 52 mounted thereon, respectively. The axes of therollers are inclined so that the upper portions of each pair of rollersare farther apart than the lower portions that roll on the ground forpressing the earth back into the channels after the plants are set. Twoseat frame members 53 and 54 are suitably connected to the members 47and 48 respectively, preferably so as to permit a limited extent ofrelative pivotal movement, and the members 53 and 54 are rigidly securedto the beam 41. Similar seat frame members 55 and 56 are suitablyconnected to the members 49 and 50 and are rigidly secured to the beam42. Preferably the rear end of each beam 41 and 42 is yieldinglysupported by means of a spring 57 and .guided by means of a guide rod 58connected with the extension 10 or 10.

In order to accurately control and determine spacing and relativepositions of the plants in the ground, one of the pair of flaring bladesof one of the channel cutters is provided with a suitable base plate 59,and one of the remaining pair of similar flaring blades is provided witha base plate 60. One of the base plates has an arm 61 thereon and theother plate has an arm 62 thereon, the arms being slightly higher thanthe blades, the lower portion of each base plate having an ear 63thereon. Each arm 61 and 62 has a shaft-bearing 64 therein and each earhas a similar shaft-bearing 65 therein, the shaft-bearing being adaptedto guide a vertical shaft on the rearward inner portion of the flaringblade and at one side of the vertical plane of the cutter blade 19 or22, a shaft 66 being thus mounted by means of the shaft-bearings on oneof the blades, a similar shaft 66 being similarly mounted on one of theblades of the remaining pair. Preferably one shaft is mounted on theinner blade 21 of one pair and another shaft mounted on the inner blade23 on the remaining pair of flaring blades, and the shafts are providedpreferably on their upper ends with operating arms 67 and 68respectively, and on their lower ends with fingers 69 and 70respectively that perform the functions of gates and also indicators orguides for controlling the setting of the plants. Preferably eachoperating arm of the shaft has a plurality of pivot holes 71, 72, 73therein. The members 17 and 18 are provided with pivots 74 and 7respectively on each of which a bell-crank is mounted. The bell-crankshave arms '75 and 76 respectively to which two coupling rods 77 and 78are connected respectively, the rods being connected respectively to theoperating arms 67 and 68. The bell-cranks have also arms 79 and 80respectively for controlling them. Two brackets 81 and 81 are secured toand I extend forwardly from the transverse frame member 14 in proximityto the members 17 and 18 and rotatably support a rock shaft 82 to whichtwo arms 83 and 84 are secured so as to extend downwardly and forwardlyin normal posit-ion, the arms being connected by means of rods 85 and 86to the arms 7 9 and respectively. Each arm 83 and 84 preferably has aplurality of pivot holes 87, 88 therein so that the rod 85 or 86 may beadjustably connected thereto. The fingers 69 and 70 normally extendacross the space between the two of the pair of flaring blades at therear end portions thereof and the plants when placed against the forwardsides of the fingers are carried along until the fingers swing back onoperation of the rock shaft 82. Two suitable trip arms 89 and 90 aremounted on the rock shaft 8:2 on opposite end portions thereofrespectively, one of the types commonly used on corn planters beingsuitable for the purpose so as to be tripped by means of knots orbuttons 91 fixed on a wire 92 which, as will be understood, is attachedto anchors or posts 93 and 94, the wire being stretched so as to beparallel with the proposed row of plants. For guiding the wire relativeto the trip arm the machine is provided with guide rollers 95 and 95 andalso rollers 96 and 96 that hold up the wire, other guide rollers 97 and97 being suitably supported above the wire on opposite sides of themachine respectively. The trip arms are retracted and held in normalrest position by means of a suitably supported spring, preferably twosprings 98 and 98 being employed, one spring being connected to the arm83 and to the frame member 17 the other spring being connected to thearm 84 and to the frame member 18. The means for supporting and guidingthe wire being well known requires no description in detail and may bevariously modified.

In practical use the machine is drawn forward and two operators who maybe boys occupy the seats 43 and 44 and afford the necessary weight forholding down the rollers that close the channels or furrows in which theplants are set. A supply of plants is carried in any suitable manner asmay be preferred and while the channels are cut by the blades 19 and 22and opened by the flaring following blades, the operators place theplants in proximity to the ground, each. operator holding a plant in onehand against the forward side of a controlling finger as 69 between theblades 20 and 21, and as the machine advances and the trip lever isoperated on coming in contact with a knot 91, the knots being spaced therequired distance apart, the rock shaft 82 is rotated and consequentlyboth fingers 69 and 70 are swung back to release the plants or rather topermit the machine to be drawn away from the plants which are pusheddown into the channels by the operators at the momentthat the fingersswing backward out of the way, the plants being fixed in the ground bythe following rollers while held uprightly by the operators. This, aswill be seen, enables the operators to set the plants into the ground atcorrect distances apart for check row cultivating.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Aplant-setter including a movable channel-cutter provided on its rearportion with a movable indicator, and means for periodically moving theindicator during movement of the channel-cutter.

2. A plant-setter including a channelcutter comprising two divergingblades provided with a movable gate device extending across the spacebetween the ends of the two blades, and controlling means for the gatedevice.

3. A plant-setter including a channelcutter and opener provided on therear portion thereof with movable means for retaining a plant therein,and means mounted on the channel-cutter and opener for assisting incontrolling the movable means.

4. A plant-setter including a movable channel-cutter provided on itsrear portion with a movable gate device for retaining a plant within thechannel-cutter, and means automatically acting during movement of thechannel-cutter to move the gate device to release the plant.

5. A check row plant setter including a movable frame, a channel-cutterincluding two opener devices and connected with the frame, movablecontrolling means supported at the rear of the channel-cutter betweenthe opener devices adapted for temporarily retaining a plant between thedevices, and means automatically acting during movement of thechannel-cutter and adapted for moving the controlling means in measuredperiods for releasing the plant.

6. A plant-setter including a channelcutter comprising two diverging andflaring blades, one of the blades having shaft-bearings thereon, and ashaft rotatably mounted in the shaft-bearings and having a fingerthereon normally extending substantially across the space between thetwo blades, the shaft having also an operating arm thereon.

7. A plant-setter including carrying wheels, channel-cutters, a framemounted on the wheels and the channel-cutters, plantsetting controllingmeans movably mounted on the rear portions of the channel-cutters, arock-shaft mounted on the frame and operatively connected with thecontrolling means, two series of wire-guides mounted on the frame, andtwo trip-arms mounted on the rock-shaft in proximity to the two seriesof the wire-guides respectively and provided with a retracting-spring.

8. A plant-setter including a frame, a channel-cutter connected to theframe and comprising two diverging and flaring moldboards, one of themold-boards having shaftbearings on the inner side thereof, a shaftrotatably mounted vertically in the shaftbearings and having a fingerthereon normally extending to the remaining one of the mold-boards to bemoved therefrom, the shaft having also an operating arm thereon, abell-crank mounted on the frame, a rod connected to the bell-crank andthe 0perat-ing arm, a rock-shaft mounted on the frame and having an armthereon, a rod connected to the arm 01": the rock-shaft and 10 also tothe bell-crank, 21- trip arm mounted on the rock-shaft, ti id itr'frgatihg isiting connected to theffrzir ne and also op'erzitivelyconnected with the rock-shaft. L

In testimony whereof, I eflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.v I I SAMUEL S. DILLOW.

Witnesses:

E. T. SILVIUS, i WILL'IAi'I DILLoW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by address iig the bominiss ion'r of Itxfeats.

, Washington, D. 0.

